I’m so honored to have Alison Edwards as my guest in this episode of Lead with Heart. She is a local nonprofit leader and the CEO of Orange County Human Relations.
At OC Human Relations, they truly embody their mission not only when it comes to being the changemakers in their community, but when it comes to creating a good workplace for their staff with diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).
Tune in to discover how Alison and the people in the organization are co-creating this workspace, including their current goal of providing staff with a baseline salary of $75,000, as well as some practical ways you can move the needle on DEIB and make your own organization a better place to work.
In this episode:
- [03:04] How the OC Human Relations creates change in Orange County
- [07:21] Practical ways they have been supporting their staff and creating more equity and belonging
- [17:56] Ways to develop and foster a culture of psychological safety and trust internally
- [25:33] Navigating fundraising and being authentic to the organization’s values
- [30:15] Creating a good workplace and putting people first
- [35:41] The value of listening to implement change in your organization
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES
“Folks should be accountable for getting their responsibilities completed. But we need to make sure we’re not playing a role in being part of the problem.”
“We have this calling to do important work. But I just want to make sure that folks don’t have to survive on that calling alone.”
“I think it does start with leadership. But part of my leadership is getting out of the way so other people can create the spaces that they need and they think that their colleagues need to be successful.”
“Ultimately, if we want to have good workplaces, we got to be a good workplace too, and we count ourselves as part of the change in that way.”
“In the midst of trying to create a more equitable world or addressing what can feel like insurmountable issues, we can still put humans first and center the humanity of our colleagues in the process.”
CONNECT WITH ALISON
Alison Edwards is the Chief Executive Officer of OC Human Relations and has been involved with the organization since 1998. She served as program director for the BRIDGES program and then Deputy Director of the organization before becoming CEO in late 2017. Alison has a passion for leadership and has served as a leadership trainer and speaker.
Instagram: @ochumanrelations
LinkedIn: Alison Edwards
Website: ochumanrelations.org
CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Certified Stress Management Coach, and Certified EmC train the trainer. She is the Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, a nonprofit consulting and coaching business. She has worked in both small and large nonprofit teams in the human services, homelessness, and youth sectors; and she specializes in the EmC process, nonprofit leadership, board development, and fundraising. Haley is a passionate, impact-driven, experienced nonprofit professional whose mission is to empower, elevate and engage nonprofit leaders to build healthy, thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
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